Detachable draft appliance.



No. 726,769. PATENTED APR. 28, 1903.

M. SEGAL.

DETAGHABLE DRAFT APPLIAIHTB.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Gttoznu o UNITED STATES MoRDEoAI SEGAL,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF wAoo, TE'X'AS.

DETACHABLE D AFT. APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,769, dated April 28, 1903.

Ap lic ti filed January 19,1903. Serial No. 139,635. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORDECAI SEGAL,a citi zen of the United States, residing at Waco, in the county of McLennan and State of Texas,

have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Detachable Draft Appliances; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in detachable draft-rigging for vehicles; and it consists of certain novel improvements and features of construction, whereby the whole rigging may be readily detached from the running-gear from a convenient position adjacent the wagon-seat.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a ready means for releasing the horse or horses from the wagon-body, if they become unmanageable, and thus materially decreasing the danger from runaways.

To more fully describe my invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings,

in which like letters refer to like parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a wagon-body and shafts having my device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail view, in perspective, of the detaching member. Fig. 3 is a detail View showing means on the rear of the dashboard for securely holding the detaching member in position, and Fig. 4 is a sectional detail showing the connection between the shafts and the'axle.

A is the dashboard or front of the wagonbody, B the axle, and O the shafts;

D represents horizontally-disposed supports, substantially of the form shown and preferably rigidly secured near the ends of the axle by means of the fastening bands or loops D and the bolts E,passing through a suitable aperture in the band D into the axlebody. These supports D are preferably made of suitable flat metal and are provided on their outer ends with the channeled or grooved projections D formed by the extension of the flat metal strips and the upwardly-extending rear and side flanges d d. The supports D are apertured at d in the channeled projection D to receive a suitable fasteningpincarried by the detaching member hereinafter described.

The shafts are provided at their'inner ends with the hinged or pivotal member E, one end of which is rigidly secured to the shaft ends and the other free end adapted to be inpurpose above described. This cross-piece F is provided with the central longitudinallydisposed slot F and in this slot is mounted the lower end of the operating-rod G, held therein by a suitable washer and nut g g. -The rod G is of substantially the shape shown and is partly supported in a vertical position by the perforated support H on thewagonbody, which guides the same and prevents the rod from buckling when shoved down to its locked position. The upper end of the rod G is preferably bent over, as shown, to

form a looped end G, leaving a space 9 between the end of the loop and the rod pro'per. This space g is sufficiently large to allow of the passage of the dashboard therethrough.

The object of the slot F in the cross-piece F is to allow the lower end of the rod G to ride thereinwhen the shafts are moved in a horizontal plane, and thus allow the front Wheels of the wagon to turn on the king-pin or fifth-wheel, as the case may-be.

In order that the detaching member may be detachably secured rigidly in position and the pins correspondinglyheld rigidly in position, I provide suitable means engagiug th'e rod G and within easy reach of the driver.".

In the drawings I have shown the Suaprepresents the spring-actuated member of the snap-hook I.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The detaching member being held rigid in position, as shown in Fig. 1, by means of the snap-hook I, Fig. 3, when the horse becomes unmanageable and it is' desired to release the animal the spring member I is depressed and the hook I thrown out of engagement with the looped end G of the bar G. The bar G may then be raised, and with it the transverse cross-piece F, and the lugs or pinsf withdrawn from the apertures e d thus disengaging the shafts, carrying the singletree, from the body of the wagon.

I have only shown my improved device as applied to a wagon or carriage adapted for use with a single horse; but it is manifest that with a few slight changes it may be made equally applicable to a wagon using a tongue for teamwork.

Many other modifications might also be made without departing from the spirit of my invention; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination with a wagon, of supports carried by the axle thereof, draft-rigging adapted to engage said supports, a cenneled supports, a cross-piece extending transversely between said supports, pins on said cross-piece adapted to engage said apertures, and means engaging and cooperating with said cross-piece for holding said pins in said apertures and withdrawing same when desired.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MORDEOAI SEGAL.

Witnesses:

DANIEL WISE,

A. P. BERKHEAD. 

